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Proposal would restrict hallucinogenic plant

During the summer months, it is pretty common to see the dark purple or scarlet flowers of the salvia plant in gardens around the region.

However, there is a type of salvia that some Minnesota lawmakers want to add to a list of controlled substances, right alongside high-powered drugs like Barbital.

Salvia divinorum, which is native to Mexico, is an ordinary-looking plant. Its leaves can be smoked, chewed, or made into a tea. Its effects
last for a shorter time than other hallucinogens like LSD or PCP.

The drug sells for about $8 per pound, and can be purchased over the Internet or from local producers.

DFL Rep. Joe Atkins has authored the bill to restrict salvia divinorum in Minnesota. Atkins joins lawmakers in Florida and more than a dozen other states in moving against the spread of the hallucinogen.